Jackie Zach
August 26, 2024
On today’s Tough Love for Business podcast, Jackie Zach and Mike McKay tackle the frustrations business owners face when they feel their businesses aren’t reaching their full potential. They emphasize that hard work alone isn’t enough for success; strategic thinking and leadership are essential. The hosts advocate for adopting a clear business philosophy, such as “The ONE Thing” or “The Six Steps and the Five Ways,” to streamline operations and achieve better outcomes. They encourage business owners to seek expert help and coaching, which can provide quick and efficient solutions, saving time and effort while driving growth.
The conversation highlights the importance of investing in professional guidance to avoid reinventing the wheel and to achieve significant improvements. Mike critiques the misconception that working harder is the only path to success and stresses that business ownership should bring joy, freedom, and legacy, rather than exhaustion. The episode concludes with a call to action for business owners to consider the value of coaching, team-based management, and leadership in transforming their businesses and achieving personal and professional growth.
Want to discover how to be a better business owner? If yes, take advantage of a complimentary business strategy session to discover the opportunities in your business! https://actioncoachwi.com/podcast-ask-a-question-complimentary-session/
Podcast Transcript
Jackie Zach: Welcome to Tough Love for Business! I’m your host, Jackie Zach, and with me is my co-host, Mike McKay. As usual, Mike had to remind me to hit the record button—make one mistake, and you never live it down! Today’s topic is an important one: As a business owner, have you ever thought, “There has to be more to this?” Not just more in terms of growth, but better ways to run your business?
Mike McKay: Yes, absolutely.
Jackie: So, Mike, what kind of things do you think about when wondering if there’s more for your business?
Mike: Given what we do, we already know there’s more. The question is how to get it—the quickest path to cash, as we like to say. But over the last few years, I’ve realized that many business owners don’t even know what’s missing. They sense something’s wrong—maybe profits aren’t high enough, they’re overworked, or employees are a challenge. But they don’t know how to change it. We talk to business owners daily, and a surprising number are stuck in a state where they’re not happy but aren’t motivated enough to do something different.
We often say that life is a mirror; what happens to us reflects what we’re putting into it. If you’re unhappy with your employees, you need to be a better boss. The same goes for your business—if you want it to treat you better, you need to be a better business owner. But many people don’t grasp what that actually means.
Jackie: Right, they think, “I want more, but I’m already exhausted. I don’t want to do more work.”
Mike: Exactly. And here’s the thing—you can’t outwork a problem.
Jackie: Tell me more about that.
Mike: In the Midwest, we have this work ethic that’s all about hard work. But hard work alone doesn’t lead to success. You can work all day as a bricklayer, but you won’t get rich. The business owner might, but not the person doing the labor. So there’s plenty of evidence that working harder doesn’t automatically create the success that people want when they start their businesses. They want time freedom, financial freedom, good relationships, and maybe even to leave a legacy. But they get stuck in the day-to-day work, and soon all they see is work, work, work.
Jackie: And despite all that work, they feel like they’re getting nowhere.
Mike: That’s because they aren’t. We see it all the time—people work hard, get their businesses to a certain level, like $500,000 or $600,000 in revenue, and maybe make $50,000 a year. But there are plenty of jobs out there that pay more than $50,000, with less stress and fewer hours than running a business. The idea of hard work as the solution to all problems is outdated. The real key is working smarter, not harder. Outsmarting your work leads to the success and happiness of owning a business, not just putting in more hours.
Jackie: If that resonates with you, the first step is recognizing it. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, what’s the next move? How do you get off this treadmill?
Mike: Well, step one is to quit and get a job somewhere else.
Jackie: That’s certainly an option.
Mike: But for those who started a business to be successful, there are more direct paths. Not necessarily easy, but straightforward. You still have to put in the work to become a better business owner, but you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. My advice is to pick a philosophy.
Jackie: What do you mean by that?
Mike: For example, Jim Rohn talks about having a life philosophy—something that guides your decisions. For us, it’s “The Six Steps and the Five Ways” we teach. It’s a clear and simplified system, designed to get results quickly. But your philosophy could be something else, like the idea from The ONE Thing by Gary Keller—focusing on the one thing that makes everything else easier or unnecessary. Or you might follow The E-Myth, Traction, or StoryBrand. The key is choosing a framework and finding help to follow through on it.
If you want a business framework that’s been simplified through hundreds of thousands of man-hours, call Jackie. I’m not going to tell you we’re not good at what we do—we are. And I assume that if you’re listening to this, you haven’t spent hundreds of thousands of cumulative man-hours figuring out business shortcuts. But because there have been 1,200 coaches for 30 years, millions of man-hours have gone into our system.
Jackie: It’s amazing how a short conversation can pinpoint where to start. We can see it clearly because we’re on the outside looking in, but when you’re in the middle of it, it feels overwhelming.
Mike: Exactly. We’ve coached for thousands of hours, so we’ve learned to spot the core issues quickly. I recently had a three-minute conversation with a client that resulted in $125,000 in profit for them. It wasn’t just a quick talk—it was built on 40 years of experience. You don’t have to put in those 40 years; you can leverage our expertise.
If your business feels stuck, you have two options: You can work on it yourself and spend thousands of hours learning, or you can get help. The right help can save you years of trial and error. You don’t have to figure everything out on your own.
Jackie: A lot of business owners say they want to do it on their own, but for every minute they spend reinventing the wheel, they’re not growing their business.
Mike: Exactly. If you think that millions of hours of experience are more valuable than your 10 hours of unfocused work, then reach out for help. If you’re open to the idea that all that accumulated knowledge can help you, you have to call Jackie. There’s an answer to whatever problem you’re facing—whether it’s staffing, growth, financing, sales, management, planning, or simply wondering why all your hard work isn’t paying off.
Jackie: The bottom line is, whatever challenges you’re facing in your business, there are more efficient, direct ways to overcome them, rather than taking the long and winding path.
Mike: And you can access those solutions—they’re available to anyone who wants to become a professional business owner rather than someone who’s stuck doing it all themselves. Business isn’t something you do alone anymore. It’s become complex, and your team will be what drives your success.
Jackie: Imagine a life where your business runs smoothly, your sales are growing, and you have more time to focus on what matters. What would you do with that extra time? How would you grow your business, take care of your family, or contribute to your community? It’s possible. The question is, are you ready for it? And do you want it?
If this resonates with you and you want to chat about your business, click the link below. Until next time!